Queens of Sheba

Jessica Hagan is a writer from London.Jessica’s debut play Queens of Sheba, co-written with Ryan Calais Cameron, won the Untapped Award 2018. The play went to Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2018 and had a successful sold-out 4 week run with 4 and 5 star reviews across the board and won The Stage Award 2018. It later transferred to New Diorama Theatre for a 3-week sold out run. In 2019, Queens of Sheba went on a 10-city National Tour and won an OFFIE in 2020 for Best Performance Piece for its run at Battersea Arts Centre. The screen rights have been optioned by Tiger Aspect for a six episode 30-minute comedy drama adaptation to be written by Ryan and Jessica. Jessica is also a spoken word artist and spends her time in both London and Ghana. In Ghana, she works with emerging playwrights through workshopping and is a grantmaker for creative organisations across the continent.Ryan and Jessica are part of Nouveau Riche, a diverse, exciting, new, creative movement, headed by a team of professional artists and producers. Their objective is to discover, nurture and produce unique stories from all walks of life, with a keen scope on work that is both educational and entertaining.

Ryan Calais Cameron is a writer for Theatre and TV. His play Typical, which starred Richard Blackwood, sold out its run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2019 and its transfer to Soho Theatre Upstairs, garnering 4 star reviews across the board. Queens of Sheba, co-written with Jessica Hagan, won the 2018 Edinburgh Untapped Award. Its four-week run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2018 sold out, garnering 4 and 5 star reviews and winning the Edinburgh Stage Award 2018; it transferred to the New Diorama Theatre, London and it went on national tour in 2019. Ryan was the winner of the 2018 Off West End Adopt A Playwright Award for his play Rhapsody, which was produced at the Arcola in March of that year. Retrograde, which he wrote on his year of ‘adoption’, was shortlisted for the 2019 Alfred Fagon Award and Verity Bargate Award 2020. Ryan is an alumnus of the Royal Court writer’s programme 2017 and the Soho Young Company 2016/17. He has contributed to the Royal Court’s Living Newspaper: Edition 2 and is currently under commission to the Royal Court, the Arcola, Soho Theatre and Theatre Centre.

Kaleya Baxe is a writer, director and facilitator whose work is driven by her passion for representation, inclusion and collaborative kindness. As well as working on outreach and youth projects with the Young Vic, Kiln, and Arcola Theatre her work often shines a light on important subjects such as her 5* show Patricia Gets Ready (for a date with the man that used to hit her) (The Guardian) and has toured schools, youth settings and pupil referral units (Written, Little Fish Theatre). As an assistant she has worked with acclaimed writers such as Chinonyerem Odimba (Artistic Director, Tiata Fahodzi) and Mike Bartlett (Doctor Foster, Life). Kaleya recently finished her placement as the Paines Plough Trainee Director 2020/21 and is currently working on her first writing commission exploring ‘Black Voices in Myth’ with company Actors of Dionysus.

Contains themes of an adult nature, racism, use of racial slurs, misogynoir, and flickering/flashing lights.